


my bones are calling out your name

by sophwrites



Series: your heart is a river that flows from your chest [3]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Nightmares, also i love these two so much just thought you should know, this is definitely the final part in the series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-28
Updated: 2016-08-28
Packaged: 2018-08-11 15:40:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7898389
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sophwrites/pseuds/sophwrites
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When she’d gone over to the Byers’ for the first time since they became a couple, he’d sung her praises during dinner like she was his favourite song.</p><p>They may be together now and time may have moved life along, but Nancy doesn’t forget.</p>
            </blockquote>





	my bones are calling out your name

**Author's Note:**

> Honestly, I went back and forth about whether to do this third part like a bloody yoyo going up and down on a string. I knew I wanted to add a shorter piece and couldn’t focus on anything else until I’d done it, but I didn’t want it to just be a pointless continuation... Then this idea came to me! I hope this works with the other two parts and brings things full circle.
> 
> Title from the song All I Want by Dawn Golden. Set sometime later than part two, this is the morning after they’ve had sex for the first time.

When Nancy wakes, the Saturday morning light is barely filtering in through her bedroom window, struggling to illuminate the room and so creating a hazy glow. Still, with her eyes barely open against the weak light, she can tell it’s early. Close to dawn.

Nancy would turn over to check the time on her alarm clock, but there’s an arm around her waist that she doesn’t really want to move.

Smiling, she looks at Jonathan.

He’s facing her and breathing shallowly, little puffs of air making the quietest of noises. The arm not around her waist is under his pillow, close to hers where they’d fallen asleep holding hands after last night.

The memory of it makes her blush.

They’ve been together long enough that she felt it was the right time, and being in her own room just added to her comfort.

Jonathan is someone she feels totally safe with now, even more so because of their venture into monster hunting. Nancy knew that he hadn’t been expecting it, as he never expected more from her than she was willing to give, even though they’d put his past privacy invasion well behind them. He was just amazed by everything they did together, sexual or otherwise.

She isn’t sure if it’s because he’s never had anyone to do so many things with before, or if it’s just her.

Everything between them feels like a milestone to Nancy. The first time they went to the movie theatre on a date, he let her choose the film and stared at her tenderly the whole time instead. The first time she held his hand in public, he ducked his head and blushed so hard she’d worried he was going to burst a blood vessel, but the following smile he’d given her had been like turning on a light in a dark room—bright and warm. When she’d gone over to the Byers’ for the first time since they became a couple, he’d sung her praises during dinner like she was his favourite song.

Her eyes water a little thinking of how much he obviously cares for her. Staring at this boy, she knows she feels the same. If she had to, she’d go into the Upside Down all over again for Jonathan Byers.

Delicately tracing his nose with the hand not under her own pillow, she shifts and feels a little sore, but doesn’t regret her choice at all.

They’ve slept beside each other a few times since they became a proper couple, but somehow this time feels different. It’s reassuring to wake up and still see him lying beside her in her bed, sleeping softly and watching the slow rise and fall of his chest. His hair is falling into his eyes on one side, the other sticking up sharply, ruffled in sleep.

She continues her exploration, ghosting her fingers down from the bridge of his nose, gently over his cupid’s bow and then his lips.

Nancy likes how peaceful he looks in sleep.

Deciding even though they’re close, they’ve still moved too far away from each other in the night, she shuffles closer to him, tucking her head under his chin. She pillows her head on his arm and breathes in the scent of his neck. Closing her eyes in contentment, she feels the arm around her waist lightly stroking the parts of her back that he can reach.

“Mhm,” he says softly above her, “Nancy?”

His rough, early morning voice makes Nancy sigh. “Morning.”

“’s early,” he murmurs. “We should go back to sleep...”

“Okay,” she whispers, feeling the heat of his body even through her night shirt. She’d put it on just before they went to sleep, feeling odd not wearing it. They’d both put on their underwear too, not wanting to be completely undressed on the off chance someone came barging into her room, despite the locked door. She’s not sure the two of them would get in trouble now, her mom loves Jonathan after all, but the whole hypothetical event would be less embarrassing if they were covered up. He’d stayed shirtless though, and Nancy enjoys the feeling of skin under her fingers, lightly tracing patterns across his chest.

“Shh,” he says, laughing slightly and kissing the top of her head, “S’time to sleep.”

  
  
  
  
  


“Nancy! _Nancy!_ Wake up!”

She startles awake, sitting up immediately and feeling out of breath.

Nancy grabs Jonathan’s arm to steady herself where he’s sitting beside her, both of them breathing hard. It’s only then that she registers her cheeks are wet, and she’s been crying in her sleep.

Then the nightmare comes flooding back to her.

“ _Barb_ ,” she chokes out and Jonathan’s there, one arm around her shoulders and the other cupping the back of her head, pulling her close to him. Nancy climbs into his lap, the covers pooling around them, he sways them gently, trying to steady her as she cries into his neck.

“She—She was there. We had this dumb argument at our lockers and then she turned around and started walking away.”

Nancy starts telling him about it without even thinking, used to spilling the whole nightmare out from all the previous times. Neither of them have had a bad night in a while, and her chest aches thinking about Barb, how real she looked in the dream.

“I called out her name, but she wouldn’t t-turn around to look at me. And then I started to—to run after her but every time I got close the hall j-just stretched out even more and then I had to start all over again.”

Jonathan says nothing, knowing she’s not finished.

“Then she just stopped, b-but it was like there was this invisible wall there because I couldn’t _get_ to her... I was just screaming and she couldn’t hear me and then _it_ was there, the _thing_ and she was screaming for me as it dragged her away and there was—was nothing I could _do_ —”

“That’s right Nancy,” Jonathan says soothingly, stroking her hair. “There was nothing you could do. Nothing I could do either. We both saw that thing, and what it could do. It’s no one’s fault.”

She’s hiccupping, getting even more distressed as she clings to his bare shoulders. “I should have _tried!_ She needed me and I didn’t—I didn’t try. I didn’t do anything and she _needed_ me!”

“You didn’t know,” he says sadly, remembering all the other dreams that she’d had similar to this one. “There was nothing to be done... You didn’t know.”

He doesn’t say it’s okay. She doesn’t want him to. No matter how happy they are now, nothing about what happened will ever be okay.

“But she wanted to go home and I didn’t. I was just being so _stupid_ and then I thought I heard her, but I—I didn’t check and I should have!”

“Nancy,” Jonathan says, “I was outside, practically right next to her, and I didn’t even see it. If I couldn’t have done anything, neither could you. Once you start down that path of—of blaming yourself, you just spiral. You _know_ there’s nothing you could have done, please try to remember that.”

She knows he’s right, but she feels so powerless when she thinks of the Demogorgon and Barb. She wants to wail and scream and cry some more, but all the fight has gone out of her.

“We didn’t even get to have a funeral...”

The fresh feeling of loss comes back to haunt her keenly once again. Every time she has dreams like this, the hole in her heart stops closing and opens again, just that bit wider. Sometimes she still goes to call Barb and remembers no one will be there to answer the phone.

“I know, I know,” Jonathan is saying, but she feels like she’s underwater, him holding her and acting as her only anchor. “I’m so sorry.”

She quietens then, crying until she feels raw and split open, but it’s okay. If there’s anyone she trusts with her open wounds, it’s Jonathan. He was doing this even before she’d had anything to give in return.

“M’sorry,” she mumbles into his shoulder, “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

He scoffs like she’s being an idiot. She knows she is.

“Was I screaming?”

“No.” Nancy breathes a sigh of relief. She shouldn’t have woken anyone else up, at least. “You were just thrashing next to me; I felt it so I woke up. Then I noticed you were crying and you looked in so much pain... I’m sorry.... I just had to wake you up.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, you did the right thing. I’m just glad you’re here.”

They lapse into silence, still cradling one another as their breathing returns to normal rhythms, hearts beating in sync.

“I still check on Will sometimes,” Jonathan says into the silence.

Nancy hums against his shoulder and then pulls back to look him in the eyes. She knows hers are red and puffy, but his look sad too. Brushing some hair out of his eyes, she bites her lip and waits for him to continue. They’ve never talked about this before.

“Sometimes I’ll just wake up in the middle of the night and panic, so I—I have to go into his room. I try not to wake him up, but I can’t help it. I just have to know he’s safe.” He looks at her and his face shows his agony. “I know you can’t do that for Barb, and I don’t know what I would do if it was me in your position...”

Staring into his eyes, she feels herself welling up again, but for a different reason this time.

“You’re so strong,” he tells her, cupping her cheek, “She’d be proud of you.”

A tear does spill over then and she hears herself say _oh Jonathan_ like his name is a prayer before she leans forward and kisses him. It’s gentle and she holds the back of his neck, fingers in his hair, thinking back to him telling her that he’d always be right here, for her, and knowing it’s still true.

When they pull apart, Jonathan gently lays them back down, pulling the blanket up to their waists as they both settle.

“What time is it?” Nancy asks.

Jonathan looks over her shoulder at the alarm clock. “Only 7:18.”

She nods lets out a big sigh. “I thought I was over all of that.”

“I don’t really think it’s something you can ever be completely done with.” She can feel the vibrations of his throat as he talks against her face, and it brings an unbidden smile to the surface, albeit a small one. “Some days are just bad days, some are good, but they all can and will be gotten through.”

“Mhm. I didn’t know you were so wise,” Nancy says, gently teasing, trying to leave the dream behind.

“Product of spending a lot of time on my own I guess. It’s easier when your thoughts are good company. Those are the good days.”

She feels that familiar pang at being reminded of how alone he was before Will went missing. Trying to lighten the mood, she says, “At least you’ve got a mind as sharp as your ribs,” emphasising her point by poking one and giggling.

“You’re one to talk,” he retorts, touching her back, “These shoulder blades are deadly.”

They laugh quietly, basking in the presence of the other and enjoying, despite the circumstances, the early morning and the extra time they have to spend together.

She surveys her room, eyes catching the pictures of her and Barb as they always do. Skimming over them with a wince, she breathes in the familiarity of it all and is inexplicably glad that Jonathan is becoming a part of that normality.

“I can make breakfast if you want me to?” Jonathan says, and she looks at him to find him already gazing at her, a fond smile on his face and eyes crinkled at the corners.

“You sure you want to brave my parents once they figure out you’ve spent the night?” She smiles, knowing they probably won’t care, but wanting to see his reaction all the same.

“I think if we can fight off a literal _monster_ , I can deal with your parents.” He’s smiling even wider now. “Plus your mom likes me, and I’m sure she’d like me even more if I made her breakfast.”

“Breakfasts are definitely your speciality,” Nancy laughs. She knows her mom loved him even before they got together, but she still teases him and says, “But I’m not sure about that, Karen Wheeler is hard to please.”

“Doesn’t matter,” he tells her, hand finding hers under the blanket. “I love you, so it doesn’t matter what anyone else has to say about it. About me. Us.”

Her breath catches.

They haven’t said it before, but it feels natural, in this moment. After everything they've been through, it's about time, really. He’s smiling at her like he’s looking at his whole world and she knows she’s doing the same. She’s not scared as she squeezes his hand and replies, “I love you too.”

  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Please let me know if this companion piece made sense and was a good way to round off the series - what did you think? :-)


End file.
